


Temporal Love: An After End Special

by honestlywhatamidoingwithmylife



Series: After End [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Companion Piece, F/M, Reset Theory (Mystic Messenger), Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2018-12-23 05:26:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11983101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestlywhatamidoingwithmylife/pseuds/honestlywhatamidoingwithmylife
Summary: This is a collection of short stories featuring various moments in the lives of Jumin Han and the heroine ofAfter End.Be warned: Given this is a companion piece, certain elements of the story may not make sense if the original is not read first.





	1. Par The Course (Day 1 | AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a time traveller isn't easy, but it comes with one or two perks.

**05/10/16**

Time travel is some serious bullshit. It fucks with your life, it fucks with your head, and if you're especially unlucky, it fucks with everyone else around you. You know this, because you were — in fact — a time traveler.

Well, kind of.

To be totally honest, it was morelike time had a habit of resetting itself on you. Now sure, these days it was easier to predict what kind of thing might lead to a reset, which gave you a limited amount of control, but early on? This was not the case. After all, figuring out what could _force_ a reset was one thing, but escaping the original eleven day time loop was quite another. Yes, the resets were initially automatic.

Consequently, for the first seventy-some-odd days of this bizarre ordeal, it was like being trapped in a wildly more perplexing version of _Groundhog Day_ ; wherein instead of learning to become a better person, you had to romance your way to freedom. That is, assuming your desired paramour was part of the RFA; a charity organization that you had been haphazardly tossed into around the same time the resets began. Correlation? Probably. The automatic resets only stopped after you had landed all five of those choice booties at least once, so there must have been some reason for that. Not that you had any idea what it was, but _still_.

So, yeah. It's pretty fucking stupid.

Still though, for all the nonsense you had to put up with as a result of this inexplicable paradox, it… wasn't all bad. After all, it was largely thanks to these tangos with time that you were able to come to truly understand — and subsequently woo — your husband, Jumin Han.

…Okay, wait, that sounded bad.

You weren't manipulating him, or like— _acting_. Not…intentionally, anyway? It was just that, in getting to know someone across different timelines, you tend to find out more about them, notice behavioural patterns, and discover different aspects of their personalities. Or at least, more so than you would've had time decided to function linearly. Since, y'know… he wasn't your "first."

Regardless of some ethicality issues, though — nothing changed the fact that you really did love him. Jumin was a kind man, despite his more standoffish tendencies; he cared for those around him fiercely, and his loyalty — while not easily obtained — was resolute and unyielding. Quite frankly, you… really didn't deserve him, but he wouldn't hear any of that. In fact, he'd _probably_ insinuate the direct opposite, and subsequently the following conversation would devolve into a series of sickeningly sweet back-and-forths. Eventually, you would lose this game of reverse one-upmanship — but only because he's more stubborn than you have the patience for! And, well, he loved you.

You smiled sheepishly. Jumin had become rather predictable, hadn't he? Granted, that was all par the course given your situation — and you didn't really mind it, either. Truth be told, it actually felt quite nice to be the person who knew Jumin Han the most, if not completely. Or was that too arrogant of you? Surely you couldn't know _everything_ about the man, but… _still_. You were certain you knew a far cry more than most, and that alone seemed like a privilege. These sides of Jumin were yours, and yours alone.

You rolled over in your bed, smile lingering, but lamented the fact your husband wasn't next to you. Damn C&R. Why did it always have to cut in on prime cuddle time?

Sighing, you reached for your phone on the bedside table. Without anything better to do, it seemed you might as well catch up on whatever messenger shenanigans you missed last night — or rather, early this morning. Really, did none of these people sleep? _Ever?_ Honestly, it was getting a bit concer—

...Wait. What the fuck was that?

You stopped skim-scrolling pretty much mid-thought, a particular piece of conversation amongst the RFA catching your eye. 

* * *

* * *

You stared at the messenger blankly, as though your brain hadn't quite caught up with the information it was being shown. Presently, however, you set your phone back on the nightstand; dead eyed and grimacing. Then, whilst glancing at the empty impression of Jumin on the other side of your bed, you grabbed his still-warm pillow, dropped it directly on your face, and yelled into it as loud as you feasibly could.

WHY the absolute _HELL_ did no one!! TELL YOU!!! when Jumin's birthday was!!!! You were a time traveler, _not a goddamn mind reader!!!!!!!!_ Like, okay, perhaps you got a _little_ carried away with the semi-possessive "privilege" spiel just now, but really? _REALLY?_ You didn't deserve this type of karma. And neither did he!

"Is … everything alright, dear?"

You pulled the pillow off your head with a jolt, eyes locking on your half-puzzled, half-worried husband. How… how long had he been standing there? " _O-Oh_ , yes, I was just— _uhm_ — H-Happy Birthday, Jumin! We have big plans today, you know! Uh— after, like, _work,_ that is." Oh for fuck's sake, what were you doing? "Big plans. Big, big, big plans!" No, really, what the hell were you _DOING?_ Why were you digging your own grave like this?!

Jumin paused for a moment, then let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head. "I see. I'd half forgotten," he said. "Truthfully, birthdays never held much meaning for me. _Mmm_ … Still, though. I'm intrigued. What _are_ these big plans of yours?"

You swallowed hard. "Oh, it's, um— it's a surprise!" you blurted, feeling your sins pouring out of you in the form of nervous sweat.

"Is that so…?" he asked, smirking some. "Hmm. Very well, then. I don't have time to press you — although I'd like to — so I suppose I'll just have to wait and see."

You nodded vigorously, constraining your mouth into the fakest smile you could muster. "Mmmhmmmm…! It's gonna be. _Great!"_

"I'm sure," he replied with a soft smile. Then, with a goodbye kiss, he was off again—leaving you about eight hours to put your Jumin expertise to the test.

…Ah. You were so screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmfao ok i cheated a little with this prompt  
> but!!!! after end is *technically* an au sooooooooo happy jujumc week yall B)
> 
> also as u might have guessed: the continuation of this prompt occurs in chapter seven hehe


	2. The Little Things (Day 2 | Realizations)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin Han explores his emotions. What is it about you that makes him feel like this?

**24/08/16**

Jumin Han was not prone to nervousness. Why would he be, after all? The man had fine-tuned himself into a pinnacle of unwavering confidence — which, given his line of work, was often necessary for the making and maintaining of successful contracts. To put it simply: Jumin could not afford to succumb to such anxieties, and thus he rarely did. "Mind over matter," as the saying goes.

…Yet, for whatever reason, she was making him nervous. 

He didn't understand it. There was no objective reason to be nervous in her presence — but nevertheless, he was. It was as though a spell had overcome his senses, causing him to fixate on every minute detail of his exchanges with her. Why was that?

"…I didn't know Assistant Kang would send you," Jumin remarked upon first meeting her gaze, temporarily losing himself in the moment. "God, sorry. I just stared into your eyes."

The woman in his doorway didn't say anything at first, but her smile was soft — almost knowing. "Jumin, I'm… so glad to finally meet you!" Her voice was just as it was over the phone; warm, calming, but with an odd twinge of wistfulness he couldn't quite place. Had he worried her in those calls, he wondered…? His brow creased as he thought.

 _Haa_ … damn. That was probably why she was here. It would have been better to meet under alternative circumstances.

He cleared his throat. "I never expected you to come to my house. I feel a bit nervous… to actually see you like this," Jumin admitted inadvertently, somewhat caught up in his thoughts. When he realized his slip, he quickly changed the topic. "I thought I'd get to meet you at the party," he continued, folding his arms. "Wasn't it dangerous on your way here? We still haven't caught the hacker."

"Oh, Jaehee made sure that I traveled safe," she replied, hoisting her hand reassuringly.

Jumin smiled softly. "Is that so? Then good." He paused, noticing his eyes had wandered again. "Oh, sorry. I can't help but keep staring at you. I still can't quite believe you're here. It… would have been better if I went to pick you up," he muttered, still dwelling on the potential dangers of her journey. "Anyways," he continued, "what did you come here for? Tell me if you need anything."

She smirked. "Do I _need_ a reason for coming here?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, her cheekiness catching him somewhat off-guard. "You came all of a sudden, so I expect there to be a reason. Did Assistant Kang send you by any chance?" He hoped he wasn't inconveniencing her.

"She did," she confessed, shrugging. "But I came because I wanted to."

Some tension seemed to dissipate from the room. For whatever reason, her answer made him… glad. "I see. You must have been nervous with the hacker still out there, but thanks for coming. I'm glad you're here safe," he replied, moving aside to motion her forward. After all, he had no intention of sending her off immediately, so there was really no reason to continue lurking in the entryway — in full view of security. Now, Jumin trusted them, _obviously_ , but… he wanted to be alone with her. "Welcome to my home," Jumin went on, signaling for one of the guards to close the door behind them. "You seemed to have come a long way, so I hope you rest up."

She circled in her spot, taking in her surroundings. "Your house… is quite amazing," she said, glancing at him from over her shoulder. Something about that look she was giving him, both inquisitive and mischievous, struck him as rather… intriguing?

No, on second thought, that wasn't the right word. Hmm…

"…Do you like it?" he enquired, his eyes widening some. "It was my father's building, but I bought it from him last year. My private garden is nearby." He thought then, although did not say so, that he'd very much like to take her there some day. "I wanted to see the roses on weekends, so I moved. Whenever I brought one home, Elizabeth the 3rd seemed very interested." Ah, that reminded him— "Oh, late introductions. This is Elizabeth. I put her in a cage for now."

Her eyes wandered over to the admittedly rather ostentatious contraption in the middle of his living space. In truth, it was actually meant for a parrot — hence the additional height — since all of the cat cages were much too small for his precious Elizabeth the 3rd. During the process of assembly, Jumin had also added several other features for the sake of her comfort: For one thing, the surface area of the cage was matted with a plush, velvet covering, and her climbing tree was placed inside in case she got bored. Jumin could tell she was discontented, however; Elizabeth had hardly stopped pacing around since going inside.

…Jumin's gut turned suddenly. She wouldn't… find this strange, would she? At least, not especially so?

Her lips flattened into a pressed smile, which only served to make him more anxious. "Don't you think she'll get frustrated in there all day?" she asked, giving him a piercing sort of look.

"…I had no choice. I'll explain later," he stated, wishing to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing spiel he'd relayed to his assistant earlier that day. "Oh, come to think of it, did you have dinner yet? Please feel at home. I can order anything you want," Jumin offered, although it was really more of an invitation. Perhaps… he should just get to the point. "If it's okay, I'd like for you to stay here today… Just tell me what you want. I can provide you with anything." Jumin took a deep breath. "I… never expected you to come, but now that you're here, I'd hate for you to leave."

Her expression softened again as she chuckled, nodding her head at him. "Sure, Jumin. I'd like that."

He felt a peculiar sensation in his chest when she laughed. It was quite pleasant, actually. "Excellent. Then… shall we…? Hmm."

Jumin narrowed his eyes, thinking. How was he supposed to entertain her on such short notice…? Ordinarily he might have suggested going out somewhere, since there isn't much to _do_ in his house, but then again he couldn't leave Elizabeth alone…

What sort of activity would suit a casual visit like this? They could have dinner, but it would take a while to arrive still. Could they watch something together? No, no. That was too impersonal for a first encounter. Puzzles? Would she enjoy that? He used to solve puzzles with Jihyun all the time. As… children.

Seemingly sensing his increasing indecision, she voiced her own suggestion. "Could you… show me around the place?"

"Oh," he replied, a wave of relief washing over him. "Yes. Certainly. Good idea."

And so he did, to the best of his ability.

Jumin didn't think the penthouse made for much of a tour, however. Nothing about it was particularly exciting or revolutionary; there was a master bedroom, a master ensuite, his dressing room, living room, kitchen, dining room, an unused personal office, his private screening room, a terrace, the pool — nothing out of the ordinary, really. Still though, Jumin did his best to be engaging; giving her a standard introduction to each room, along with an occasional dialogue on an object within them.

"An acquaintance of mine in the manufacturing business gifted this to me some years ago," he said, gesturing towards the image on the wall.

"It's a nice picture," she remarked. "I like the composition."

He gave her a quizzical look, but it soon faded to realization. "Oh, no, not the photo," he clarified. "The yacht."

"Oh."

For at least forty minutes, if not an hour, the two of them continued on in this manner; venturing through the penthouse, stopping to chat about certain household items, and then moving on to the next room. Truthfully, however, the aimless small talk was starting to vex him. It was obvious to Jumin that his guest was not overly interested in the subjects at hand, which only served to exacerbate the inexplicable nervousness he felt around her. Now, that wasn't to say she wasn't listening to him. In fact, she had been hanging off his every word quite attentively since the tour began; nodding along politely, asking the occasional question, her gaze fixed to his person. However, for all the things he showed her, he seemed incapable of drawing her out. Was there nothing he could show her that she would like, or captivate her? Nothing at all?

He had no idea. They barely knew each other, after all. She was probably just being kind for his own sake, biding her time until she could leave.

"This is the living room," he said, his tone turning dull. "On your left is the entrance to the terrace, and on your right—"

" _Whoa_."

Jumin whirled around in response to the unexpected exclamation from his guest, but before he could make an enquiry, she had already begun to walk away from him. Rather than protest, however, Jumin followed suit — mostly befuddled, but also intrigued — until she had exited the penthouse entirely, standing beneath a sky bathed in hues of orange and crimson red.

"Oh, Jumin," she said, breathless, "this is stunning. We didn't— I mean, I've never seen a sunset like this so high up before. Come here, look at the city! It's amazing."

…He did not look at the city, but it was just as well; her assessment remained the same. The contrast between the sun and her outline was striking; she was an eclipse. Even if Jumin wanted to stop himself from staring, he wasn't sure he could.

After a moment of silent thought, Jumin muttered out a suggestion: "…I can have a photographer up here in ten minutes if—"

She let out a laugh, turning back to grace him with her smile once more. "No, no, that's not necessary. I'd rather just… enjoy this moment with you," she said. "Is that okay?"

Jumin tilted his head forward, watching her expression. "You're… content with this?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I have a growing appreciation for the little things in life," she explained. "I know I haven't been that talkative so far, but… _ahaha_ , I don't know. It's nice just _being_ with you, I guess."

A floodgate of thoughts and emotions seemed to whirl through his mind all at once, but all that escaped him was an impulsive chuckle. "That's…interesting, given we're near strangers," he remarked. "You almost talk as if we'd known each other for years."

"Mmm. Perhaps we met in a past life."

He raised his eyebrows. Jumin knew by her tone that she meant the suggestion in jest, but… he had to admit, there _was_ something unspeakably familiar about her. Warm, but distant, but… not?

Her face scrunched up playfully. "What? Don't buy it?"

Jumin blinked. "Hmm?"

She narrowed her eyes, smirking at him. "You're smiling."

" _Ah_ ," he said, absentmindedly raising a hand to his face, but the smile there did not fade. "…Would you care to have a drink with me?" he offered, almost surprising himself in the process. "I'm not inclined to believe in past lives, but as it stands, I am curious of your current one."

She grinned, fully facing him now. "Oh? Do explain," she asked, arms crossed and head tilted to the side.

His feet moved by themselves, narrowing the gap between him and her, but she didn't back away. "I'd like to see where this curiosity leads," Jumin told her, his steely eyes unwavering. "I want to know everything about you."

"Ah," she responded, a pondering sort of look on her face. "So that drink had _no_ ulterior motive, then? Gosh. What a pity."

…Cute. That was the word he was looking for.

Cheeky, but _quite_ cute.


	3. Mercy (Day 3 | Secrets) [NSFW]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You had a secret, but so did he. He couldn't resist a challenge, and you were more of a sadist than you let on to be.

**11:21 pm**

"…How did you manage to talk me into this?" Jumin mumbled beneath his breath, provoking a slight chuckle from you.

"Morbid curiosity, I expect," you replied in the most innocent tone of voice you could muster, although the glint in your eyes may have given you away. "Why, are you getting  _nervous_ , Mr. Han?" you teased. "You could give in now, if you want."

"…No," he insisted, staring back at you with that usual resolve of his. "This is just… highly irregular."

A wicked grin flashed across your face, but you managed to turn away before he caught it. " _Sure_ , sure."

You sat back, admiring your handiwork with a subtle smirk. The way Jumin was posed was picturesque: Hands ensnared above his head in silken restraints, hair disheveled and slick with sweat, a trail of lipstick smears cascading from his mouth to his collarbone. You had made your proposal to him in the heat of the moment, and half expected him to refuse you as a result. After all, Jumin Han wasn't the spontaneous sort, nor particularly keen on relinquishing control,  _but…_ He never could resist a challenge, especially one he thought he could win.

" _So_ ," you began, placing your hands beside his hips, leaning forward ever-so-slightly, "do you remember the rules of our little wager, honey?"

He cocked his head to the side, putting on an air of total disinterest. "You wish to have your way with me for the remainder of the hour, no?"

You narrowed your eyes, grinning. "If you can  _stand_  it, I'll release you after an hour — yes," you explained. "But I expect you'll be begging for mercy long before then _._ "

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, taken aback by your bluntness, but he soon reverted to chuckling. "Well, we'll certainly see about that."

"Indeed we will," you replied, giving him a cheery smile. "Oh, I nearly forgot—" You withdrew yourself and pulled open the bedside table drawer, rummaging inside it for a time. "Ah, there we are," you remarked, pulling out the blindfold.

Jumin flinched, clenching his fists as you slid the soft fabric over his eyes. "Is …  _this_  … absolutely necessary?"

" _Shh_ ," you whispered, straddling him over top of his clothes, breathing beside his ear. "Just focus on your senses, hmm?"

Jumin swallowed hard, pressing his lips into a thin line, but nodded nevertheless. "Very… very well, then," he muttered.

You tilted your head, eyelids half-lidded. "Good boy."

Jumin gave a slight start, perking his head up suddenly. "Good bo—? _Mmm_ —"

You kissed him before he could finish speaking, smirking against his parted lips. Your hands wandered to the back of his neck, cradling his head and raking your fingers through his hair as he eagerly matched the pace of your mouth — ever pushing forward, wanting more, but unable to obtain it.

Heh. How impatient.

You left his lips with a slight nip, pulling away from him for just long enough to glance at the clock on the wall.

**11:28 pm**

Oh, my. Had it been that long already…? You'd better get a move on, or at this rate he'll win.

You leaned forward, reaching for the buttons on his shirt — undoing them, slowly but surely, until he was exposed from his neck to his navel. For all Jumin's dismissive talk, you had to suppress a laugh when you noticed the extent of his breathing; mesmerized by the rise and fall of his chest, the flush on his cheeks.

"Why do I have a feeling," Jumin murmured, squirming slightly beneath you, "that I'm being ogled?"

"Mmmm, no idea," you replied, ogling him.

He exhaled deeply, clenching his fingers. "Do you only intend to _watch_ , my dear?"

"Aw, feeling neglected?" You positioned yourself over his clothed bulge, rolling your hips against him. "How about now?"

Jumin let out a stifled groan; his arousal _evident_ despite the barrier between your sexes. You felt him starting to grind his own hips to meet yours, a slight crease in his brow — but that only prompted you off of him, rolling onto the bed beside. He scowled then, frustration apparent, but his reaction only amused you. "Don't be a _baby_ ," you teased, plopping yourself next to him, propped up on one arm. "Good things come to those who wait."

He huffed at your remark. "I'll remember tha— _nngh_."

He let his head fall back, a satisfied sigh on his lips. Your hands had gone to work immediately; palming him over his trousers, unzipping him, pulling his member from its confines. You were well versed in pleasing Jumin in this manner, albeit not in a position of dominance, but that factor nevertheless granted you the ability to multitask. Subsequently, as your right hand went to work down below, you began feathering his neck and chest with long, languid kisses, enraptured by the sound of his heartbeat.

You drew out the process for as long as you could — stroking him methodically, massaging the tip, teasing him elsewhere — but it wasn't long before you knew he was getting close. Jumin wasn't a vocal sort of lover; not in an especially loud sense, that is. However, in the heat of the moment, he did have a number of tells: His jaw would clench, his breathing increased, a few guttural grunts echoed in his throat…

So you stopped.

" _Hng_ — Wh… _Why_ …?" he whined breathlessly, thrusting his hips in hopes of finding some source of stimulation — but to no avail.

"Hmm…? Seems _someone_ wasn't listening," you chided playfully, the hand that had been on his cock now tracing patterns on his chest. "I said I wouldn't release you for the hour, didn't I?"

You could hear the gears turning in his head. "What?"

"Oh, I suppose you thought I meant the restraints," you mused. "I mean, I'll do that as well, but until then," you leaned in, letting your voice drop, "I'm going to _edge_ you into oblivion."

Jumin went silent, shuddering involuntarily; perhaps for the first time in his life. He regained his composure soon, however, and allowed himself to chuckle. "…Minx."

You giggled. "Still up for it? If not—"

" _When_ I get out of these," he interjected, stretching his neck out for as far as he could, "I'm not going to let you sleep tonight."

A chill rolled down your spin, but that only egged you on. "Big talk—" you began, catching his chin between your thumb and finger, forcing his face towards yours.

**11:36 pm**

"—for a man with twenty four minutes left," you concluded, your mouth crashing against his, but eventually moving down, down, _down_ …

Jumin inhaled sharply as you took him in your mouth, instinctively pulling against his restraints. His jaw went slack, panting, as your tongue swirled across his tip, down his length; your teeth grazing his flesh, teasingly, but never leaving a mark. It didn't take long for Jumin to return to a state of bliss; still feeling the sensitivity from the would-be orgasm you ruined moments before. His breath caught in his throat when you decided to take him all in — sucking hard, urging him on — but you could tell he was holding back, not allowing himself to unravel beneath you.

Oh, come now, that wouldn't do at all.

Your mouth left him with an obscene _pop_ , which prompted him to hiss. After taking a moment to wipe your lips, you lifted yourself off the bed. "Be right back."

Jumin raised his head, following the sound of your footsteps as you left his side. "Wh— Wait, what? Where the _hell_ do you th—"

You closed the door.

**11:43 pm**

You opened the door.

"Oh, decided to return, did you?" Jumin huffed, his cheeks flushed and his brow narrowed. "You left me in a fairly _precarious_ position, you know."

You snickered. "I was gone for, like, literally two minutes," you retorted. "Why, expecting someone else to pop in at nearly a quarter to twelve? Got a business meeting scheduled?"

"There are _guards_ —"

"Aaaand that's stopped you from leaving me tied up _whennn_ …?"

He didn't reply.

"Anyway," you continued, climbing back onto the bed, "I brought something for you."

He didn't reply.

You leaned over, kissing his cheek. "Relax, it's nothing you wouldn't use on me," you assured, whispering in his ear. "In fact, you _have_ used it on me." You pulled away, shuffling back down the bed. "Any guesses…?" you asked, clutching his cock in one hand, thumbing the tip ever-so-slightly.

Jumin's legs twitched in response to being touched again. "That… that list is fairly extensive," he muttered.

You placed the vibrator at the base of his shaft. "How about now?"

"Just tell—"

You turned it on its lowest setting.

"— _OH_." Jumin practically jolted; arms straining against the ribbons, fingers clenched, head bent forward, and his legs practically convulsing. "Ha- _haa_ … That's— _agh_."

A sly grin slowly crept up your face, eyes widening at his reaction to the device. Experimentally, you ran the vibrator up and down, applying some pressure against him.

He grimaced, biting down on his lip.

"…Like that, huh?" you asked, increasing the speed.

His head flung back again, nearly whacking the headboard behind him. He gritted his teeth, desperate to keep his voice down, but it was only barely working. With a slight laugh, you circled his base, stroking the rest of him with your other hand,  and then bent over for a tentative lick.

For the first time _ever_ , Jumin let out a loud, strangled moan; his entire body rippling with desire. "Don't… Don't stop— _aghh_ , please, it's too much _—_ " his voice had begun to scatter, verging towards the edge again.

You didn't stop, however. Only slowed down. "Oh…? Did you say something?" you enquired. "Say it again. Louder."

"Don't— stop—" he repeated, gasping between words. " _Please_ —"

You smiled. "Say the word."

Jumin paused, seemingly contemplating.

"C'mon, Jumin, you have to say it."

Regaining some self-possession, he stubbornly shook his head.

You sighed loudly, promptly shutting the vibrator off. Jumin swore this time at the loss of sensation, groaning pitifully, but it was just as well.  

"Ah, what a shame," you replied, looking back at the clock. "And to think you still—"

"Mercy."

**11:52 pm**

Your head shot back towards him, tilted sideways. "Come again?"

"M-Mercy, you vixen, I said _mercy_ ," he snapped, his voice thoroughly shaken. "Now take these _damn_ restraints off so I can _fuck you_ into the mattress."

With a rather giddy sense of accomplishment, you crawled back to his side, removing the blindfold from his eyes. He blinked several times as he adjusted to the light again, a rather dazed look on his face, but after a time he immediately turned to you.

"W- _Well?"_ he said, tugging on the ribbons.

You chuckled, giving his forehead a peck. " _Mmm_ , in a moment."

He scrunched up his face. "In a _moment_? That's not what you—"

As he complained, you had rolled onto your back, removing your underwear and shorts. "Heh, don't make me gag you," you teased, discarding your clothes onto the floor. "Or do you want me to?"

Jumin stared at you in disbelief, a dark look in his eyes; semi-closed as they were. "And here I thought I had such a _nice_ wife."

You bit your lip as you snickered, lifting yourself over his lap, but not sitting down _quite_ yet. "Well, we all have our secrets," you said, swaying your hips. "Like how youuuu… secretly don't mind this…?" you suggested, staring down at him with a sultry gaze.

He avoided your eyes, the tips of his ears turning red. "J-Just get _on_ with it, damn you."

Giggling, you lowered yourself onto him — sighing as your flesh met with his own, rocking your hips against him. It didn't take long to adjust to his size; watching him left you more aroused than you cared to willfully admit out loud.

Jumin groaned, quivering with sensitivity. "Let…let me touch."

You creased your brow, but nodded, reaching forwards to untie him. As his arms fell free, you took one more quick peak at the clock before he flipped you onto your back.

**12:00 am**

…Eh, he didn't have to know.

No way in hell you were going to wear those fucking cat ears.


	4. An Unspoken Fear (Day 4 | Jealousy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumin feared one thing. That one thing was losing you.

**26/08/16**

Whenever the subject of jealousy arises in conversation, the word is more often than not being misused in the context provided — or to put it simply, it is being conflated with envy. In truth, jealousy was actually quite different from envy; perhaps even antithetical. Now, the two terms _could_ hold certain similarities in a situational sense, but nevertheless they were not the same thing.

Envy was what most people assumed jealousy to be: That is, the desire to own something belonging to someone else, whether it be a material item or, perhaps more controversially, a person. Either way, it was not an emotion that Jumin Han was especially prone to feeling. The privilege of wealth provided him with almost everything he wanted or needed, with one recent exception.

Her.

Beautiful, glorious, enigmatic her.

He couldn't imagine a life without her now.

 

 

"You seem troubled," Jumin observed plainly, adjusting his tie as he got ready to head out the door.

His guest looked up from her phone, the worry on her face as clear as day. "Oh, sorry. I just— nothing. It's nothing." She set the phone down on the coffee table, quickly, but the worry remained.

Jumin paused for a moment, fidgeting with his cufflinks. "…I apologize if our conversation from last night made you uncomfortable," he said. "It was rather out of the blue, admittedly, but I thought… being honest… would be better in the long run."

She looked briefly puzzled. "Hmm—? _Oh!_ Oh, no, that's not— I'm just… worried about Seven," she admitted, averting her eyes. "We were talking just now, in the messenger. I'm not… sure what he's doing, exactly, but I hope… it… turns out okay."

"Oh," he replied, his eyes narrowing somewhat. "I see."

 

 

Jealousy, however, was a more insidious emotion. It crept up on the best of us, whispering the most nonsensical of things.

 

 

"You seem to get on well with Luciel," Jumin commented.

She glanced back at him. "I like to think I get along with everyone well," she replied after a moment's hesitation.

 

  

Jealousy was based on insecurity, an irrational fear of loss. It was weak, it was pathetic, it had no basis in reality. But… _but…_

 

 

Jumin nodded, pushing away his ludicrous thoughts. "Of course. You are an amicable person, an empathetic person," he said, almost as if to remind himself. "Luciel knows how to take care of himself. Regardless of what he's doing, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"…Yeah. You're right." She got up from her spot, walking over towards him. "Good luck today, Jumin," she continued, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I hope the talk with your father goes well."

Jumin was quite sure, just then, that his heart had never felt more full, and yet his thoughts were still nagging him. "You'll… stay with me, right?"

 

 

He couldn't lose her.

 

 

She smiled at him. "Of course."

 

 

He couldn't.


	5. Wrong Number (Day 5 | Wedding) [NSFW...?]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**07/09/16**

" _Soooooooo_ , uh," Seven began, swivelling around in his desk chair, "what _happened_ , exactly?"

Zen hung back in the doorway, unwilling to go farther into Seven's bedroom than he needed to. "Dropped it," he said, point-blank, clearly avoiding the subject.

"You _dropped_ it," he repeated, glancing back at the desecrated remains of Zen's phone. "Like, off a cliff, or—?"

Zen exhaled loudly, throwing Seven an irritated look. "Can you fix it or not?"

Seven scoffed. "Uh, no. I mean, well, _yeah_ , but I'm not gonna—"

"WHAT?" Zen bellowed. "Ugh, _c'mon_ —"

Seven threw up his hands. "Just get a new phone, dude! Look at this thing. It's old as hell—"

"It's been three years—"

"Like I said, old as hell—"

" _Seven_."

He sighed, raising his hand to his temple. "Listen, smartphones don't have software longevity. Fixing it will only end up costing you more in the long run, so it'd be better to just bite the bullet now. You probably won't even get another six months usage."

Zen clicked his tongue, grimacing at the notion of dropping a couple hundred bucks on a replacement. "Man, easy for you to say, I can't _afford_ a new phone!"

Seven tilted his head to the side, a curious grin suddenly appearing on his face. "Oho…? Then you're in luck!" he replied, clapping his hands together. "Seven-O-Seven's Retail Tech Center is open for business!! Welcome dearest customer!!!!"

Zen stared at him blankly. "What the hell are you on about?"

Seven sat back in his chair, his expression defaulting. "I'm giving you my old phone, Zen."

"Oh," Zen replied. "Oh wow, thanks! That's really nice of you, actually."

"Yes, yes. God Seven _is_ generous—"

He narrowed his eyes. "Almost… _too_ nice."

Seven pouted in an animated fashion, crossing his arms. "Aww, what's that supposed to _meannnn_? I thought we were friends—!"  

"...What do you _want_ , Seven?" he asked, growing impatient.

"Your selfies! All of them."

There was a moment of dead silence, the two of them staring at each other.

"…You know what? I don't wanna know. I do not want to know," Zen said, totally exasperated. "But whatever, take them! Just— ugh, don't do anything weird? I have a reputation to maintain."

"Of course, of course!" Seven replied cheerily. "You have nothing to fear, I have no intention of sharing."

"…Wait, what? Then—"

"Now then!" Seven said, pulling open one of his desk drawers, which appeared to be stuffed with old cell phones. Why the hell did he even keep all those? "The good news is, despite the casing being _totally_ unsalvageable, it seems like there was no damage to your data. Which _meannnnssss_ ," he went on, snatching a cell and spinning back to face his monitors, "after a quick _syncccccc_ ," he continued, plugging the phone into his computer, "you should be good to go!"

"Okay. How long sh—"

"—Aaaaand, it's done!"

"Wow," Zen remarked, amazed. "That… that was insanely fast?"

"Yeah, well. Unlike you, I have a computer from _this_ century, so that helps," Seven remarked, his stupid grin clearly visible on the reflection of the computer screen. "Oh! But before I give this to you, I want to do a quick check up of the messenger itself — just to make sure it's functioning properly. I mean, it _should_ be fine, but I put up certain protections to prevent the app from even appearing to exist, so that diagnostic I ran before didn't tell me anything. Ya mind?" he asked, holding the device up.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Zen replied dismissively. "Um. What are you doing, though?"

Seven shrugged, waving him out. "Text test, sound test— just poking around a little, really."

"Sound test?" Zen asked. "Are you gonna call someone?"

"Nah, I'll just replay the last one. The app actually records them for the sake of record keeping," Seven explained, opening up Zen's call history. "Oho, what is this? The newly wedded Mrs. Han called _you_ last night? How scandalous! They're still on their honeymoon!" he laughed.

Zen's face paled. "WAIT, _WHAT?_ SHIT! SEVEN, DON'T—"

 

"…Ah- _haa_ , nngh, wait, I— _oh, Jumin_ — my phone fell."

The muffled voice of Jumin Han came through the line. "Mmm… Leave it."

" _Nnn_ , but I might have pocket dia— _Ah! Oh, fuck—_ "

Jumin chuckled. "Then let them hear."

 

The initial shock finally wearing off, Seven hurriedly ended the replay — virtually slamming the phone down on his desk. In the meanwhile, Zen's entire face was on fire; caught between embarrassment and utter disgust over having to live through that shit a second time. Why. WHY. WHY!!!!!!

"We're never speaking of this again," said Zen.

"Yep! Okay, sounds good," Seven replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ........................okay LISTEN before anyone kills me for this  
>  i didnt wanna do juju and mcs first time or their *actual* wedding for this prompt bc thats gonna be in the main fic  
> and just  
> THIS SCENARIO IS REALLY FUNNY TO ME IM SORRY ZEN/SEVEN  
> ((but only slightly))


	6. Positive (Day 6 | Parenthood)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make an unpleasant discovery.

**??/??/??**

…Time travel is some serious bullshit.

It fucks with your life, it fucks with your head, and if you're especially unlucky, it fucks with everyone else around you.

And then, sometimes, it fucks with your future as well.

… _Ha_.

Hahahaaha…!

When… when did this happen…? When? _When?_ How long have you—

The door handle jiggled.

"Darling…? Are you alright in there? I thought I heard a crash."

Your thoughts froze, but your hands did not. By the time he opened the door, you'd already discarded your… smoking gun, so to speak. Your tears were less easily hidden, however.

The shock of seeing your face all puffy and red sent your husband flying to your side, immediately taking you in his arms. "Dearest, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice frantic. When you shook your head, his expression grew grim and his tone darkened. "Did someone do this to you? If—"

You shook your head more, trying to stabilize your breathing, but to no avail. "I-It's nothing, Jumin—"

" _Nothing?_ My love—"

Your breath hitched as you choked out your protests. "Dammit Jumin, I can't— please just— just… don't."

He didn't say anything to that, but his expression spoke plenty. "I won't ask, if you don't want me to," he began, raising his hand to stroke your hair, "but I can't help if you don't tell me."

You stared at him, tears still rolling down your cheeks, before shutting your eyes and resting your head against his shoulder.

"…I know."

It's how it had to be.


	7. The Surprise (Day 7 | Birthday)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You want to make Jumin's birthday special, but time's run out and now you're royally fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOOOOOO i finally finishedddddddd thank u nanowrimo for forcing me to complete this lmfao but at least now im back to the main fic :") side note tho: since this is nano writing, very little editing went into it, so im prob gonna clean this up later. dont judge me too hard for potential sloppiness / overabundance of dialogue rn lmfaoooo

**05/10/16**

Honesty was the best policy. You knew that, objectively, and so did he.

…So what on earth compelled you to tell such a stupid lie? On his birthday, of all days? _About_ his birthday, of all days?

You were just being silly at this point — lounging about the house like some self-pitying prima donna, utterly woebegone by the absurd predicament you managed to work yourself into. All you had to do was call him and explain what had happened. It's not like you _forgot_ his birthday; literally no one told you when it was! You just… panicked, a little, when you found out and hadn't done anything for it. He'd understand! You knew he would!!

Pick up your phone, dammit!!!

You groaned, flopping back against the sofa. Why did this have to be so difficult? Were you really _that_ embarrassed, or… did you just not want to disappoint him?

… _Sigh_ …

You had tried — _really_ , really tried — to think of something last minute, but nothing seemed to make sense. There was no time to plan something grandiose like a day trip or weekend away, and something that might suit the average joe — like a fancy dinner — wouldn't be a special occasion for a person like Jumin Han.

The same could be said for gifts. Like, what the hell could you even _get_ Jumin that would really mean something to him? He didn't typically… want things. And even on the relatively rare occasion that he did, he was already in a position to have his wants satisfied instantaneously; no wish lists, no waiting. The man's worth billions! You could not get him anything that he could not already get himself, and certainly not on the same magnitude he'd get for you if roles were reversed. Jumin relished in spoiling you whenever it fancied him, but that was, alas, a luxury you literally could not afford. Not without _his_ money, anyway. And that's sort of lame, isn't it? Buying someone a gift with their own money?

As a last ditch effort to figure something out, you had tried calling your friends in the RFA. Surely, given how long they've known the man, they would have some ideas — _right_? Even if you had to ask them in an inadvertent way to avoid suspicion.

* * *

"Heeeeeeeey, Yoosung," you said, attempting to mask your tone, but probably failing. "Like, no reason, but do you happen to remember what Jumin did for his birthday last year?"

"Last year?" Yoosung repeated. "Ummm… I don't think he did anything? He's usually too busy. Oh… that's a bit sad, isn't it? I hope he wasn't lonely!"

* * *

"Soooo… Jaehee! Did anything about Jumin's birthday stick out to you last year? Something the RFA did? Or his dad did? Haha."

"I recall him getting a call from V during the day, but nothing more," Jaehee said, rather monotonously. "If that's all, I must get back to work."

* * *

You sighed. "You didn't get him anything last year by any chance, did you?"

"…Me? You're asking me? Really? _Me_?" Zen remarked, laughing incredulously. "The day I get that jerk — no offense — a birthday present is the day he stops sending joke gifts on mine. He sent me cat food last time. Cat food!!"

You bit your lip, trying not to laugh. "Seriously…?"

"Yeah!" he replied. "Don't you remember?"

Your eyes narrowed. "Um… no?" You may not visit the chatroom as much as you used to, but you were pretty sure you'd know if your husband sent cat food to Zen. "Wait, when's your birthday?"

You heard him sigh on the other end. "April 1st."

Oh. _Oh_ , that's unfortunate. "Ah, yikes. That's… rough. But, um, listen… I was not around during your birthday, man."

He paused. "What? No, you totally were—"

"No, I definitely was not. I joined the RFA in August, dude," you reminded him. "Are you sure you didn't, like… dream that up or something?"

He was silent for a few more seconds. "…I could've sworn—"

"Well, memories are weird like that," you interjected, feeling a little awkward now. "Sometimes dreams get confused with reality when it seems _kinda_ probable and a lot of time's passed, y'know?"

"Maybe… it was prophetic?" Zen mumbled, probably mostly to himself.

"Uh, yeah, maybe? I'll… give you a heads up if Jumin starts talking about cat food around your birthday." This conversation was getting mildly worrisome. "Just… take care of yourself, alright? Make sure you're not drinking right before bed, too."

* * *

"Agent 707 is doing what his boss is telling him to do, so don't worry! Please send your message to Vanderwood! If it isn't the agency calling… just know that I can't take your call because I work twenty-four hours a day like a hacking slave. Send me an email if you have any problems. The beep is there for nothing! But still listen to it. Yep!"

"Agent 707 is doing what his boss is telling him to do, so don't worry! Please send your message to Vanderwood! If it isn't the agency calling… just know that I can't take your call because I work twenty-four hours a day like a hacking slave. Send me an email if you have any problems. The beep is there for nothing! But still listen to it. Yep!"

"Agent 707 is doing what his boss is telling him to do, so don't worry! Please send your message to Vanderwood! If it isn't the agency—"

"Agent 707 is doing what his boss is telling him to do, so don't worry! Please—"

"Agent 707 is doing what his boss is telling him to do, so—"

"Agent 707 is doing what his boss is—"

"Agent 707 is doing what—"

"Agent 707 is doing what—"

"Agent 707 is doing what—"

"Agent 707 is doing what—"

"Agent 707 is doing what—"

"Agent 707 is doing what—"

"Agent 707 is getting tired of his phone ringing," Saeyoung remarked, speaking over top of an engine. "Now! To what do I owe this pleasure, oh lady calls-a-lot? Or do you just enjoy listening to my voicemail? I do admit I have a good voice!"

Oh, thank _fuck_. Finally. "Seven, I really, really need your help."

"Mmmmm, didn't we already have this conversation a few days ago?" he asked. "Or do you have someone new to blackmail?"

"What? No, I—"

"Or is this just a progress report? If so, there has been no progress. Agent 707 is very busy. Very, very busy. You may have heard from the voicemail."

You sighed, loudly. "Yes, _I know_ , but this isn't about that—"

"So you _do_ have someone new to blackmail? Don't be shy now, I do love money."

"No!" you exclaimed. "I just wanted to ask if you—"

"Wanted to chit-chat like the good ol' days? To help alleviate your boredom while the birthday boy's at work?" he asked, followed by a strange crunching sound. "Well, as much as I'd like to do that, I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment, so _—_ "

"Wait," you interjected, narrowing your eyes. "Where… where are you right now? I hear weird noises."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm just on a casual driiiiiive through the countrysiiiiiide. Roads are a bit rough!" he explained, although you had no idea whether he was telling the truth. "Oh huh, would you look at that, a cliff. Better not drive off! Gotta go, girlie. Sayonaraaa…!"

* * *

Needless to say, no one was particularly helpful. And, in hindsight, that probably shouldn't have surprised you. Most of the RFA didn't really _get_ Jumin, much less actually consider doing something for his birthday. Well, except for maybe V — but it's not like you were in a position to be able to ask him. You didn't have his number, and Jumin himself hasn't heard from V since the wedding; he's basically been MIA for an entire month.

…Actually, that was kind of weird, wasn't it? You should probably ask Jumin about that when he gets home… in thirty minutes.

You sighed, ranking your hand through your hair. Why did you have to get his hopes up like that, saying you had all these big plans? Stupid, stupid impulsiveness.

_Buzz, buzz._

You looked up, directing your attention towards the phone on the coffee table in front of you. You picked it up, anticipating a text from your husband — he usually sends you a text when he's on his way home — but to your surprise, that wasn't the case.

It was … from _Saeyoung?_

* * *

* * *

The frantic string of texts you sent him following this cryptic message went completely unanswered, as did your subsequent phone call. As such, the only conclusions you could come to was that he was either ignoring you on purpose, or his phone had died. Either way, the implications sent a shiver down your spine.

What the hell was the address for? Did he want you to meet with him somewhere, or something? And what did he mean, _your secret?_ Was he talking about Jumin's stepmother, and the request you made…? But then again, that wasn't really _your_ secret.

You sat there for a few moments, just rattling your brain around his words. _Your secret, your secret, your secret…_ Had he misinterpreted something, maybe? Or… could he have meant…?

Ah, no, forget it. That was a stupid idea. There was no way he could possibly know about the resets, or your past together with Saeran—

…

But maybe he knows where you've been.

* * *

While the unknown address Saeyoung had provided you with was relatively close by, it felt like it was taking an eternity to actually get there. You had no choice but to take one of Jumin's drivers given the suddenness of Saeyoung's request, which honestly left you feeling pretty nervous about all this. After all, if it turned out that Saeyoung really _did_ know you've been to Mint Eye, and perhaps even knew about Saeran, he almost certainly would have gotten the wrong idea. And you didn't want that information finding its way back to Jumin, no matter what. Not now, at least.

…Oh shit, wait. Jumin. You forgot about Jumin. He'd nearly be home by now, wouldn't he? Odd he hasn't texted you yet, but you're sure to get a few queries now that you've ditched him. On his birthday, of all _fucking_ days.

Ugh. Today just keeps getting better and better.

"Here we are, Mrs. Han," the driver suddenly said, glancing back at you in the mirror up front. "C&R Headquarters."

You blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We have arrived at the address you provided, ma'am," he reiterated. "102 South Cherry Street, Cinnamon District. That would be C&R Headquarters."

You just stared forward, blankly.

"Is something the matter, Mrs. Han?"

"Oh… uh, no, thank you," you replied, snapping out of your trance. "I'm just… a little confused," you went on, mostly mumbling to yourself.

"Have you been to C&R before?"

You shook your head.

"There's nothing to worry about, I assure," he replied. "It is a big place, but so long as you provide some proof of your identity, the front desk should be able to help you locate Mr. Han — or in lieu of him, his office or chief assistant."

"Right, sure, thanks," you muttered, awkwardly stumbling out of the vehicle. C&R? Saeyoung sent you to _C &R?_ What on earth for? It felt like your head was going to spin right off your shoulders.

You meandered your way into the skyscraper's lobby, thoroughly perplexed, and shot off a few more texts to Saeyoung as you did so. Had he actually lost his mind, setting up a meeting with you here? Or… was Jumin involved in this, somehow?

As you pondered over the possibilities, you were startled by a sudden — and frankly, unexpected — reply to your texts. However, Saeyoung didn't answer your plethora of questions. He just gave you a floor and room number. What the hell?

You sighed, exasperated, but knew he probably wasn't going to divulge anything else, so you didn't bother texting back. The only way you were going to find out what he was up to was by just following his instructions. Hence, that is precisely what you did.

It took you about ten minutes to get to where you were instructed to go, given you first needed to obtain a visitor's pass — since, as Jumin mentioned before, you were not yet an official affiliate and didn't want to get thrown out — and then got lost. C&R was a big building, with many long, confusing hallways. Nevertheless, after finally coming across the right corner to turn, you found yourself literally running into — oh, luckiest of days — your husband.

Jumin looked mildly irritated upon first being bumped into, his mouth already upturned into a grimace. However, his expression relaxed when he realized it was you. "Darling?" he said, evidently surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Jumin—!" you gasped, completely caught off guard. "I— Oh, um, well—!"

In the midst of your stuttering, Jumin had stopped to glance at his wristwatch; his expression darkening when he noticed what time it was. "I see I'm quite late. Is that the reason for your visit? I'm sorry. I had no idea I was going to be kept this long," he replied, sighing. "Today has been inordinately busy, even for me. I hope I have not inadvertently spoiled your plans?"

"I— ah, no, it's fine. Don't worry about that. I just… wanted to check in!" you said, attempting to sound chipper. "Am I keeping you? I'd hate to get in the way—"

"Nothing aside from a wild goose chase," he said, an irritated edge to his tone. "Assistant Kang has dragged me through the entirety of this building for seemingly little to no reason. It's begun to get quite tiresome, frankly."

You narrowed your eyes. "That's… kind of weird?"

"Indeed," he said. "In any case, I don't intend to linger. I'll see what she wants quickly and then we can both head out. She's just in here — do you wish to accompany me?"

You glanced at the door he was gesturing to, and noticed immediately that it was the same location Saeyoung had been directing you towards in his texts. "Uh, sure," you replied, not quite sure what to make of this development, but electing to roll with the punches regardless.

With a nod, Jumin made his way over to the door and opened it for you — revealing, oddly, what seemed to be an empty room, since it was totally masked in darkness. You couldn't see anything past the doorway; it was like a big, gaping abyss.

"Is this the right room?" Jumin muttered to himself. "Or does Assistant Kang mean for us to conduct ourselves like conspirators?"

No sooner had he made this comment, however, there was a sudden change in your surroundings: All at once the lights came on, and a chorus of voices erupted through the air. "SURPRISE!" they cheered. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

The two of you stood in the doorframe like a pair of deer in the headlights, stunned by the abruptness of it all. The room, as it turned out, was a sort of lounge — which, as of now, was being occupied by a small party of people. You didn't recognize most of the crowd, but assumed from their smart, clean-cut appearances that they must be some of Jumin's employees. However, there were some familiar faces as well: Yoosung, who was guarding a cake; Jaehee, situated among her colleagues; Zen, whose expression indicated he was about to undertake the most challenging acting role of his life; and lastly, Saeyoung, who was standing by the light switch.

You blinked several times, giving yourself a few seconds to process what was going on. Had… all of these people… planned a surprise party? For _Jumin_? You took a step forward, returning to reality, then glanced up towards your husband. Jumin's eyes were wide, locked on the sight before him with a very slight flush dusting his cheeks. You wondered what he was thinking, stunned as he was, but the action in the room prevented you from doing so.

"Well, well, well! The man of the hour and his lady love finally arrives!" Saeyoung quipped, sauntering over to you both. "Hehe. Surprised?"

Jumin snapped out of his daze, but that look of shock remained plastered across his features. "I—"

"I'll take that as a yes," Saeyoung interjected, clapping his hands together. "Hey, Yoosung!" he called out. "Mission accomplished!!"

"He was surprised?!" Yoosung shot back, cupping his hands over his mouth for projection — despite being, like, three feet away.

"He was surprised!!!"

Yoosung fist pumped the air. "Yesssss…!!"

Jumin's gaze darted back and forth between the two, the rest of the rfa, and everyone else; unsure of what he should be focusing on. "What … is all of this?"

"Uh, a surprise party, _obviously_ ," Zen replied, overhearing the conversation. "What, do rich people not _do_ those?"

Yoosung crossed his arms, pouting. " _Zen_ —"

"It's just a question!"

"Mmm, is it though?" Saeyoung rebuffed, holding his chin as he pondered aloud. "Is it… _really_?"

" _Ugh_."

Jaehee sighed at the lot of them, shaking her head as she adjusted her glasses. "I apologize for my part in this, Mr. Han," she said, changing the subject. "I knew you wouldn't appreciate being needlessly paraded around the building all day, but the others insisted on keeping this secret, so I—"

"Oh, oh, oh!!" Yoosung interjected, earning him an irked look from Jaehee. "Zen, get Jumin's gift!"

Zen scrunched up his face. "Eh? _Now_? They just—"

"Yes, now!!" he retorted, adamant in his pursuit. "The sooner we do presents, the sooner we do cake! And I've been wanting to steal a slice since it finished baking, Zen. Don't you understand the agony I've been through?!"

"Okay, okay! Relax, I'm getting it," Zen replied, holding his hands up and backing away. "Can't say we're really doing _presents_ , though, it's just one thing—"

"Um…!" an unfamiliar woman pipped in suddenly, her voice jittering as she attempted to speak over Zen. "That's— um, actually, not quite true…!"

"Oh, right," Jaehee remarked, interjecting herself. "A few of the other assistants collaborated on a gift basket. I don't know its contents, however—"

"But we hope you like it…!" the woman added, with a few of the other employees nodding behind her. "Also, um, there's… a new handkerchief in there. Since I didn't, uh, give yours back… that one time."

Jumin turned to look at the short, lighter haired woman. "...Assistant Kweon, isn't it?" he asked, relaxing his expression somewhat.

Assistant Kweon, presumably, perked her head up upon being addressed by Jumin directly, nodding soon thereafter.

"Thank you," he said, offering a brief nod.

She smiled faintly, nodding as well, then returned to stand beside her peers. You turned your head curiosity as she did so, wondering what all that was about. However, before you could ask, Zen had returned with the RFA's aforementioned gift; presented in a tall, lilac coloured bag, and adorned with tissue paper out the top.

"Here," Zen said, practically thrusting the bag into Jumin's hands.

Jumin raised an eyebrow as he took the bag, first studying the gift in his hands, and then giving Zen himself a quizzical glance.

Zen, backing off as fast as he could, quickly crossed his arms and turned his face away from him. "What? Just open it."

Jumin's lips upturned into a slight smirk upon hearing this remark, but it vanished just as swiftly as it came. He made a brief survey of the room then, noticing that all eyes were on him — watching, waiting — but did not open the bag quite yet. Instead, he turned in your direction, giving you a curious, almost questioning sort of look. You honestly had _no_ idea what could possibly be in the bag — especially given your own indecision on the subject of gift-giving — which probably made you even more curious about its contents than Jumin was himself. Nevertheless, you nodded for him to open it — hoping that, whatever it was, he would enjoy it. Upon receiving your second opinion, Jumin finally came back to the bag and pull out its contents. Inside, as it turned out, was a tall bottle, containing a greenish-yellow drink.

Saeyoung grinned, a glint of mischief in his eye. "Ooh, wine? How thoughtful of you Zenny!" he called out, resulting in a glare from Zen. He didn't have the opportunity to rebuff Saeyoung, however, as he just continued to speak: "Quickly now, someone get our Juju a glass—"

" _Pfft_ ," Jumin snickered, albeit very faintly, but nevertheless caused most of the room to be taken aback. "Love, _look_ at this," he said, handing the bottle over to you.

 _"_ _CHARDONNYAH: Fine Wine for Feline Friends"_

…Damn. That's pretty fucking brilliant.

"It's for _cats_ ," he explained, almost giddily, even though you just read the label yourself. "No alcohol. It's substituted with catnip."

"Whoa, wait, it's for _what now?_ " Zen exclaimed, louder than he probably intended. "Ughhh, no wonder my allergies kept acting up when I picked up the stupid thing—"

Yoosung's expression furrowed as he looked to Zen, tilting his head to the side. "Wait, you didn't know it was for cats? But your allergies still acted up…?" he asked, then sighed. " _There_ goes my placebo effect theory," he continued, clicking his tongue.

Zen shot him back a puzzled look. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh! Well, you always say your cat allergies act up when they honestly really shouldn't, so my working hypothesis was that because you so negatively associate cats with your allergies, you feel symptoms just by being reminded of them — even if you're not anywhere near a cat," he explained, earning a number of perplexed looks from employees and RFA members  alike. "I mean, it's not like you're _actually_ allergic to, like… the concept of cats."

Zen folded his arms, seemingly affronted. "Uh, okay, but I basically _am_ though, so—"

"But that's… impossible," Yoosung remarked, squinting suspiciously. "Doesn't this bug anyone else…?"

…Well, yeah, it _did_ for a while, but personally you stopped asking questions after the whole "psychic dreams" thing. Besides, considering you're also a time traveler, you honestly weren't really in a position to exclude impossible things. Hell, for all you know there might be a correlation between Zen's abilities and yours. Like, they're both kind of related to time, after all.

"What, are you a doctor all of a sudden?" Zen retorted, pulling you from your speculations and back to the conversation at hand.

Yoosung's shoulders dropped. "Wait, do you… not know what my major is?"

Zen's expression contorted, evidently confused. "Wha—?"

" _Heeeeeeeey_ , Yoosung," you hurriedly interjected, already sensing where this was headed, "how 'bout that cake?"

"Oh, right!!" he exclaimed, smacking his own forehead and then bee-lining towards the buffet table. "Jumin's first, because it's his birthday! Then _me_ , then—"

"Yoosung. If you're cutting, you're _last_ ," Jaehee stated. "Otherwise the rest of us would have to wait."

"Ah, good point," Yoosung said, sadly. "Mmmm… I guess you can cut the cake then, Jaehee! Just give me a big piece, hehe."

Jaehee sighed, likely already having anticipated this outcome. "If I do, I am cutting in _equal_ proportions, Yoosung—"

"Argh, fine, just hurry!!" Yoosung relented, then turned to Jumin, grabbing his sleeve. "C'mon Jumin, you're still first!"

"Oh, uh, I—" Jumin's words fumbled out incoherently as Yoosung pulled him away, prompting him to peek back at you with mild disconcertion. You chuckled lightly in response, waving him off with your free hand, which seemed to resign him to the situation at hand.

This… was a profoundly convenient turn of events.

As the remainder of the party gathered around the buffet table for cake and hors d'oeuvres, Saeyoung scooted over towards you, making a point of snickering as he scrolled through your many, _many_ texts to him earlier. "Jeez, someone's paranoid. Anything I should know?"

You rolled your eyes at him, putting Jumin's present on a nearby table. "I _thought_ something might be wrong," you retorted, which was at least partly true. "I mean, could you _be_ any sketchier? And what did you mean by my secret, anyway? I don't have any secrets." This statement, on the other hand, was complete horseshit.

Saeyoung chuckled. " _Hmmm_ , playing coy?" he hummed, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Or do you really think after calling everyone that nobody figured out that you forgot—? _Ow!_ Hey! That hurt."

You had _gently_ nudged him before he could blurt out anything Jumin might overhear. "I – did – not – forget," you whispered, emphasizing each word. "No one _told_ me. I didn't know until this morning!"

"Uh-huh, a likely story," he teased. 

You sighed. "Regardless," you continued, "I'd like to know… How long have you guys been planning this? Why didn't you tell me?"

"… _Weeeeeeeell_ , that's because it was kinda last minute. As in, we planned it today. A few hours ago," Saeyoung admitted, shrugging sheepishly. "See, after you called Yoosung, he started to get all sad that Juju's birthday's always so boring, so he decided to make a cake for the guy. He then called after Jaehee asking whether she'd mind passing it along to Jumin, but she told him that she couldn't because she found out some of her coworkers were trying to set up a surprise party for the boss man after work—"

"Really…? They started it?" you interjected, raising an eyebrow.

Saeyoung snorted. "What, don't believe that?"

"I mean… no, not really?" you confessed. "This _is_ Jumin we're talking about. My general impression's that he's always been fairly distant from his employees, spare Jaehee?"

He smirked. "Then maybe his work relations are improving more than you thought they were, or maybe they're just naive new hires looking for brownie points, I dunno. You're the one married to him, just ask," he continued. "Anyway, at first Jaehee was gonna try and disband the party without Jumin's knowledge, since she thought he wouldn't be keen on the idea— but Yoosung took it as an opportunity, and suggested that maybe all the RFA should come by for it, and then passed the idea along to both Zen and I. Long story short, and after some bickering between us four, Yoosung's side won out and we all separated to do different jobs. Jaehee distracted Jumin while Yoosung and his cake went to C&R to help with party prep, meanwhile Zen picked up the gift. Don't get any wild ideas, though— it wasn't his idea and he did his part very, very begrudgingly."

You tilted your head to the side, arms crossed. "So what were you supposed to do, then?"

"Show up," he replied, smiling slyly. "Oh, and tell you about all this. And get ya over here on time."

You snorted. "Congratulations. You just _barely_ did your job."

"As I always do," he replied, bowing slightly. "But hey, you should be thanking me for saving your butt just now," Saeyoung continued, making a large sweeping gesture. "Y'know, given the whole not-knowing-it-was-hubby's-birthday thing."

" _Uh-huh_ ," you replied, scoffing. "Seems like I owe Yoosung a larger thanks, based on your account."

"Okay, well, _yeah_ , but the cat wine," he said, tapping his head with his finger, "was aaaaalllllll me. I take full credit for the idea."

"Uh, yeah, I think figured that one out," you replied, chuckling somewhat. "…But thanks, Seven. I mean it. I was… pretty screwed, to be honest."

"Heh, anytime," he replied, winking. " _Althooooough_ , if I were to offer a piece of advice, you might wanna just tell someone next time you're in a jam like that. You might not get as lucky the second time around. 'Specially if you hold off."

You grimaced, but nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know—"

"Also," he continued, his tone suddenly turning stern, "I know you've got a bit of a _thing_ for answering weird texts and heading to random addresses and whatnot, but maybe don't do that anymore. Even from me. Actually, especially from me."

You laughed him off. "Um… but _I'm_ paranoid?"

He moved closer to you. "I'm serious." There was no smile on his face, no indication of jest. "If something really _was_ wrong, as you said, I wouldn't get you involved. Remember that."

You stared at him for a moment, then sighed at him, arms crossed. Golly, now doesn't that just take you back. "That… seems like a complete subversion of your own advice, dude—"

"Yup, it is," he said, interrupting you deliberately, "but that's just how it's gotta be."

"…Is something up?" you asked, perhaps against your better judgement. After all, you _knew_ something was up. Something's been up since the ninth day of this timeline, and something would continue to _be_ up until he got his brother back.

Saeyoung peered at you, his mask slipping for a moment. Just a moment. "‘Course not," he said, smiling a smile that didn't quite reach his tired eyes, "what makes you say that?"

You pressed your lips together, gazing back at him intently. Part of you wished you could just… tell him. But… that came with risks. Risks you couldn't afford. Inadvertently, you turned your face away, chuckling solemnly. "Secrets… are suffocating, aren't they?" you said, voicing your thoughts, but not really paying attention to what you said… until you said it.

Fortunately for you, however, you didn't have time to regret your words, nor did Saeyoung have time to respond.

"Pardon me, Luciel," Jumin interjected, walking up to you both with two slices of cake in hand, "but I need to steal my wife back, if you don't mind. Assistant Kang's set a piece of Yoosung's cake aside for you, so you know."

" _Ah_ — right. No problemo amigo, she's all yours," Saeyoung replied, suddenly breaking his gaze away from you. "Actually though, I gotta run. Only meant to pop in for a bit, as it is."

"Oh? That's a pity," Jumin replied, placing the plates in his hands on the table beside the three of you. "Nevertheless, thank you for stopping by. Ah, and for the wine."

Saeyoung grinned. "Oho? Recognized my handiwork?"

Jumin gave a brief, nonchalant sort of shrug. "After removing certain variables, I deduced you to be the most probable candidate, given your pre-established eccentricities, the humorous nature of the gift, and your fondness for cats."

"Impute complete," Saeyoung replied, screwing with his voice to make it sound all nasally and robotic. "Language detected: Verbose Old Man. Translation: Yes."

"…Twenty-eight is not that old," Jumin said, flatly, but his comment retained a certain defensiveness.

"Heh. For _most_ people," he retorted, flashing a sly grin. "Oh, man, almost forgot— I have another thing for you. Err, not from me, though."

You raised your head slightly, interest piqued, as Saeyoung unzipped his hoodie and pulled out an envelope from his inside pocket. "What's this?" you asked.

Saeyoung turned his eyes toward you, but not his head. "It's from V," he said, the playfulness in his voice now completely gone.

The two of you didn't say anything for a moment. Even with the noise of the party around you, the air felt oddly silent.

"You've spoken with him?" Jumin asked after the moment had passed, taking the letter somewhat hastily.

"Not since your wedding, no," Saeyoung admitted, zipping his hoodie up again and plunging his hands into his jean pockets. "He gave this to me then, said not to pass it along till your birthday. Guess he knew he'd still be outta town and didn't wanna rely on snail mail. Or cell service availability. Or something."

"…Ah. I suppose that makes sense." Jumin's voice seemed to dip just then, his disappointment evident. "He insinuated as much."

"What did it say?" you asked Saeyoung, not really thinking of the implications, but curious of its contents.

This time, Saeyoung rolled his head towards yours with a somewhat mocking smile. "Aw, that's not very nice. What, do I _strike_ you as a snooping sorta guy?" he asked.

"Yes, actually," Jumin added, folding his arms. "Granted, in light of… certain circumstances, I wouldn't necessarily blame you."

"How merciful," Saeyoung remarked, avoiding the subject entirely. "Anyhoo! I gotta skedaddle now, so you crazy kids have fun, hmm?" he went on, lightening his tone. "But! You just make sure to have him back home by eight, little missy. Our Juju has a kitty to get wasted and send me a video of later, ya hear?"

You nodded profusely. "Yes, ma'am, of course."

 "…Wasted is a rather _crass_ word," Jumin remarked. "But should something amusing take place, I _may_ elect to show you."

"Ayyy, atta boyyyyy," Saeyoung said, shooting his hands up, giving Jumin some finger guns, and then proceeding to walk out the door backwards. "Tell the others I said buh-byeeeee!" he called, disappearing down the hall.

"…Hmm," Jumin remarked, staring forward at the empty doorframe. "That was odd."

"Yeah," you agreed, "that about sums him up."

The two of you looked back at each other at this point, then shared a laugh.

"Well then," Jumin went on, smiling faintly, "I suppose _this_ is what those aforementioned plans entailed?"

You froze where you stood, suddenly feeling that pit of anxiety turning in your stomach again. You furrowed your brow, turning your face away from him. Half of you wanted to just go with it, _but_ … no, that was wrong. It was already stupid of you to lie about this as much as you had; you weren't going to dig yourself any deeper. "…Listen, Jumin, about what I said—"

"Dearest," Jumin called, speaking over you with an oddly devious sort of smile, "I'm teasing you."

"…What?"

Jumin bent forward, turning his head to the side. "I caught you shrieking into a pillow this morning, and then you proceeded to ramble about apparent birthday plans you had made for us, despite the fact I've never once told you when my birthday was. I'm afraid your cover up attempt wasn't _particularly_ subtle," he explained. "I must say… you are mildly entertaining to watch when you're flustered, though."

You stared back at him, blankly. "Jerk."

Jumin broke form and laughed — _loudly_ — but you just kept standing there, arms crossed in front of you. "I'm sorry," he said, unable to hold back his smile, "can you forgive me?"

"No!! I've been going _crazy_ about this all day!" you shot back. "I just— _ugh_ — I can't _believe_ you bamboozled me like this."

"Bamboozled?" he reiterated.

"Bamboozled!"

Jumin paused for a moment. "Were you truly upset?" he asked, adding a certain seriousness to his voice.

You were staring at your feet. "…I wanted to make your birthday special," you added quietly, letting your arms fall to your sides.

Jumin let out a soft sigh. "My love," he began, draping one arm behind your back, then taking your outer hand in his free one, "we will share multitudes of birthdays together throughout the course of our lives, and each one will be even more precious to me than the last. Do you know why?"

You glanced upwards. "…Why?"

"Because we'll spend them together," he replied. "That's all that I could ever want."

You smiled up at him faintly, squeezing the hand he'd given you to hold. "Yeah, me too," you replied, and hoped his words remained true.

* * *

**\- END -**

**([Read Main Fic](http://archiveofourown.cc/works/9275588/chapters/21020483))**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw - if you didn't catch it, assistant kweon is/was the new assistant jumin had trouble with during his route. several calls by jumin and jaehee mention her messing up simple tasks, which peeved jumin, and at the time mr blunt honesty just straight up told her she'd be fired if these problems persisted, whiiiiiiiiiich... kinda made her cry lmfao. this caught jumin by surprise at the time, so he gave her his handkerchief / later reflects on whether he was too harsh. so anyway this is the thrilling conclusion i've come up with to that not-even-really-a-subplot subplot. she's got anxiety and is prone to forgetfulness, fam.


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